Falling Slowly
by ForeverMeansAlways
Summary: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Or so they thought. Morgan/Prentiss
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Criminal Minds.

**Summary: **What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Or so they thought. Morgan/Emily

**A/N: I was watching the Friends episode were Monica and Chandler get together in London and this idea came to mind. I'm new here, so this is my first story. It's going to be Morgan/Emily. Hmmm. One of the first episode I saw was the one where they talked about their favorite book (Don't remember the episode's name) but I guess first impressions stick, so yeah. =)**

**Enjoy… or I hope. **

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**Falling Slowly**

"_Love is when two souls with but a single thought become two hearts that beat as one,"_ ~_Friedrich Halm_

**Chapter 1**

"Morgan, this is stupid."

Morgan showed off his award winning smile. Tomorrow they would wake up with a mind-boggling headache and wonder what the hell they had been thinking, but for now they just let the alcohol sink in before they had to face the cruel reality of another case.

"Come on," he slurred. He was slightly more inebriated than she was, but she was still no less dejected. "It should taste good. I can't see why not."

At that, her eyes grew cross. "I thought you said you did this before."

They were sitting on the floor, backs against the end of the bed and feet unceremoniously intertwined. The many empty beer bottles scattered the floor, but for the time being the alcohol was forgotten. He gave her an incredulous look. "I thought you said you liked snickers?"

"I do." She eyed the various ingredients they had gotten at a store in the main lobby and wondered how they were going to do this without making a mess of the room and themselves. God, she really hoped they wouldn't have to pay for anything, especially in a hotel like this. They were staying at The Venetian in Las Vegas. How Hotch managed to pull a few strings, she wasn't sure.

"Just tilt your head back."

She obliged. There had been a mishap in the scheduling of rooms and since JJ had taking some time off to spend time with Henry and Will, Morgan had offered to share with her. However, if she would have known that they were going to get drunk and then make - what he called – snickers in yo' mouth, she might have turned him down.

"Don't swallow," he told her, and then added, "and don't choke. I don't want to be carrying you to the hospital at three AM in the morning." She rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath, but she still tilted her head back nonetheless. Carefully, he poured a little bit of milk into her mouth and then he proceeded to pour in chocolate syrup, caramel, and finally some peanuts. "Now swish it in your mouth, chew the peanuts, _and then_ swallow."

He had overfilled everything and she desperately tried not to gag. Her face must have giving her away because he busted out laughing. She mumbled something, but in doing so, she managed to spit some out, which only made him laugh louder.

"Swallow," he eased.

With one large gulp she managed to get it all down. She shot him a glare as she wiped her mouth off with her sleeve. "It _was_ good," she told him eventually, the exact opposite response of what he thought she was going to say.

He leaned in so suddenly, her breath caught in the back of her throat. It was the effects of the alcohol that had compelled him to do it, – no doubt – but just because he was drunk didn't mean he didn't know what he was doing. There was chocolate syrup on her cheek and with the gentle touch of his pinkie, he wiped it away.

Emily felt his breath hot on her cheek and she gave an involuntary shudder at the close contact. Their eyes met, their smiles faded, and just as she was about to close the distance, he said, "You smell like a snickers bar." He smiled widely at her and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She punched him lightly. "You're a jackass."

"I prefer charming."

"You wish."

The sound of a can being sprayed caught her attention, so she turned to glance at him. She rolled her eyes at what she saw. "When did you get that?"

"I bought it at the store," he told her, before squirting more whipped cream into his mouth. "Want some?"

She opened her mouth, but let out a shriek of surprise when he intentionally missed her mouth and aimed for her face instead. "Morgan!"

He laughed warmly before returning to attack her with the bottle. By now her face was covered in the dessert, and she fought, but to no avail. Eventually, she gave up altogether and Morgan soon followed.

"Ugh. Look at me," she only half scowled. "I'll have to take another shower."

Without thinking, he said, "Or I could help."

Luckily for the both of them, she was too drunk to care. Frowning, she scraped a handful of the cream off of her face and threw it at him. "Two can play this game," she challenged him, before chucking more his way.

"You're on," he replied, accidentally prodding her in ribs with his finger. She shuffled awkwardly and he smiled foolishly. "You're ticklish?"

"No," she told him, but she squirmed and it gave her away.

He did it again and she laughed despite herself, which only spurred him on. Soon, he was tickling her and she was struggling to breathe. In an attempt to get away, Emily tumbled backwards, but he just went down with her, continuing his onslaught. "Stop," she panted and he only did when she unintentionally arched against him.

A blush crept across her face as she felt him against her thigh. She could see the embarrassment in his eyes, but it was soon replaced with arousal. Bile rose in the back of her throat. They were far too close to each other, mouths separated by mere millimeters. Their drunken eyes met, their smiles faded, and he leaned an almost imperceptible distance closer, effectively closing the gap between them.

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**Please tell me what you thought! Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews!!!! Really mean a lot and keep me writing! Sorry I didn't have this up soon, but I've been away every night for the past couple of days and I've never had time.**

**A/N: Mature themes in this chapter. Don't say I didn't warn you. =) **

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**Chapter 2 **

"_It's true that we don't know__ what __we__'ve got __until we__ lose it, but __it's also true that we don't know__ what __we__'ve been __missing until__ it arrives," ~ ????_

There wasn't one specific element, which startled Emily Prentiss from the false sanctuary of a dreamless sleep. Instead, it was a combination of outside influences. Like the strangeness of an unfamiliar mattress, and the heavy arm that was wrapped strongly around her naked torso. As was uncustomary, her heart began beating wildly in her chest, drumming staccato, like the rapid exchange of gunfire.

Blinking widely, she glanced around the hotel room. It was a chaotic mess. Empty beer bottles and other various condiments scattered the floor, their clothes had been thrown throughout the room, and the sheets were twisted at the end of the bed. It was then when she realized that Morgan was the only thing shielding her from the world. She flushed, knowing that he would wake up soon.

Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she grabbed her t-shirt from the back of a chair and shrugged it over her head. Barefooted, wearing only the t-shirt and black panties, she headed towards the bathroom. She closed the door softly before turning on the light, so as not to disturb Morgan, who was still asleep in the other bed. Then while eyeing her reflection in the mirror, she started the shower.

She didn't recognize the woman staring back at first. With sallow skin, baggy eyes, and sunken cheeks, there was no way she would be able to hide the hangover from Hotch. Hopefully, he wouldn't mention it. The memories were coming back now. There had been a flurry of touching lips and skin, cloths being shed in a heap on the floor. It had been rough, fast, and demanding. She groaned at their own stupidity and at the mind-boggling headache that was currently pounding like a chant inside her head.

The shower felt good on her skin. It gave her time to think, though by the end, she still didn't know what this meant for their friendship. She shook her head ruefully, and the buzzing in her ears increased with every weak shake of her head. Groaning, she pulled on the rest of her clothes. What the hell had they been thinking last night?

Morgan was still sleeping when she exited the bathroom. She didn't want to talk to him now. Not like this. Without disturbing him, she closed the door behind her and headed for a long day of work.

*******

Morgan woke to the shrill sound of his cellphone ringing. Blindly, he reached for it on the bedside table, where he left it last. A constant buzzing filled his head, making it all the more difficult to grab his cell. Drinking on a work night was a _very _bad idea. On his last ounce of strength and on the last ring, he managed to flip it open against his face.

"Morgan."

"Hey, you up yet?"

It was Rossi, and Morgan mumbled something incoherent. God, he had way too much to drink last night. "Not really," he tried again.

"Well, get up. I'm driving Reid over now, I can take you too. Hotch and Emily left about an hour ago."

At her name, a flood of memories came rushing back. Vegas. Beer. Snickers. More beer. Kissing. More kissing. A_ lot _more kissing. Momentarily forgetting that he was still on the phone with Rossi, he shouted, "Fuck."

On the other line Rossi chuckled, completely misinterpreting his response. "Relax. You didn't sleep in. Hotch can't scream at us, if we're all a little late."

"…Oh… okay," Morgan mumbled. "Yeah. You can take me. Give me fifteen minutes."

"Ten," Rossi bargained before hanging up.

Morgan rubbed his eyes raw as he stepped into the shower. What the hell had they been thinking? He reasoned that it was his fault. After all,_ he_ had coaxed her into drinking the alcohol. _He_ was the one who had bought the snickers. _And he_ most definitely was the one who kissed her first. However, _she _did kiss him back and could easily have stopped it when she didn't.

He made a decision to talk to her as soon as possible. The essence of the team was so important, and he and Emily were almost always paired off together. It was like an unspoken mode of operations - JJ and Reid, Hotch and Rossi, and him with Emily. If they were going to keep working together, they had to resolve this. He even practiced what he was going to say as Rossi drove them over.

Only, by the time he got to their destination, everybody was all ready there, so he couldn't get Emily alone. From there, another half hour passed as they theorized and tossed ideas around the table. He did sneak a few glances her way throughout the morning, trying to gouge her reaction. She seemed fine, or at least until she laid her head on the table, completely exhausted. It was only ten in the morning.

"Late night?" Rossi asked her.

Emily shot Morgan a glance from across the room, before smiling softly at him. He wondered if that was a good sign. "It was his fault," she teased him.

He frowned at that, surprised that she would even bring it up in front of everybody. "I…didn't…"

"You bought the alcohol," she eased him back on track, teasing him as she did so.

"Did you know," Reid began and everyone rolled their eyes. "One night of _really_ heavy drinking can impair your ability to think abstractly and grasp difficult concepts for a month. Also 70% of college students admit to engaging in unplanned sexual activity primarily as a result of drinking or to having sex they wouldn't have had if they had been sober."

Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Emily hid her face again, probably hiding a blush that was surely gracing her cheeks. An awkward silence filled the room and Morgan knew that Rossi would see right through them if they sat in silence any longer. However, luckily for them, Hotch returned, saving them all from an embarrassment.

"Reid, stay here and work on victimology. Rossi and I will talk to the manager at The Mirage. Prentiss, Morgan, go to The Wynn and see what you can find there."

They shot each other wary looks, knowing full well that they would have to talk about their drunken night of passion.

"Our unsub clearly knows his way around the casinos," Hotch continued. "If he's stealing money, he's good with computers, smart on his feet, and familiar with the area. He most likely has an accomplice who works at one of the resorts. Get all the information you can get."

With those words said, Hotch swiftly walked out of the room and everybody followed suit, more than ready to start the day.

Well, sorta ready.

*******

The first few minutes of the car ride over were painfully silent, and though Morgan kept sneaking glances Emily's way, she refused to meet his gaze. It frustrated him that she wouldn't bring it up. She had been there too. Didn't it bother her?

"Look, Em…" he began with a sigh.

"You don't have to give me the 'talk'," she interrupted him with a soft smile. He took it as a good sign. "We were drunk."

Morgan was glad she hadn't said it didn't mean anything, because in reality it did. She was a friend and Emily _did _mean something to him. She wasn't some girl he had met at a bar just for the purposes of sex. No, Emily was definitely different, and she deserved better than what had happened between them last night.

He shot her an apologetic glance. "It was my fault."

She laughed loudly at that. "I wasn't _that _drunk, Morgan. I could have easily have stopped it."

It lifted a huge weight off of his shoulders. "So we're okay?"

"Were both adults," she concluded. "I think we'll be fine."

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," he told her with a smile.

Emily returned the small gesture. "Yeah." She rolled her eyes slightly to face him. "It was Vegas's fault."

_"Exactly."_

"Besides, that snickers thing _was _good."

"Yeah?"

She nodded vigorously. "I _love_ snickers."

And there it was. An understanding reached between two consenting adults. It was their secret and theirs to keep. And everything was supposed to go back to normal.

Or so they thought.

It was later that night when they were back at their hotel room, things suddenly changed between them. There was intimacy. He could feel it and knew she felt it too. Morgan wasn't quite sure what to do about it. It was way too early to go to bed and he definitely didn't want to sit in awkward silence for the next hour.

He shot her a glance and smirked, seeing her claim the considerably larger of the two beds in the room. "Who says you get the bigger bed?"

She looked slightly taken back by his response, but when she realized that he was just easing the tension between them, she gave him a shy smile. "Who says I don't?" Emily challenged back.

Morgan laughed and threw a pillow her way. It hit her in the head. "Morgan!" Emily threw the pillow back, but when it missed him completely, he just laughed harder.

"Oh, I see. This was all an elaborate plan to get back at me for last night," he joked. "Wasn't it?"

"How could you guess?" she teased back.

He smirked as another pillow missed him. "I think it's going good, don't you?" he told her sarcastically.

This time, she managed to hit him in the head. "Hah."

He leaned in, "Oh, you're laughing now. What happens when I fight back?"

Emily gave him a superior look. "Am I supposed to be afraid?"

He smiled foolishly, and without warning, he tackled her to the bed. She punched his shoulder a couple of times, but he easily pinned her underneath him. She wiggled and panted, but it was of no use.

"Ugh."

"Now what are you going to do?" he whispered in her ear seductively, and for a second he imagined that she arched against him. His eyes fluttered half-closed as he felt the warmth of her body under his own.

Then he felt a hard jab to his ribs, and she pushed him off her. He rolled onto his back, holding his side and moaning.

"I win," she gloated as she straddled him to pin him down.

However, he just easily sat up and she fell backwards, but Morgan caught her before she could tumble off the bed. Their eyes met suddenly and their smiles faded. She placed her hand on his chest while he placed a hand on her thigh. The simple touch sent shivers down their spines and he pulled her tighter to him.

The thin material of her impromptu pajama shorts showed more skin than necessary and she regretted not bringing a pair of pants. She shuddered as she felt him draw circles just beneath the hem of them. He was dangerously close, but she didn't mind. In fact, it was comforting. And despite the fact that she knew this was breaking protocol, she actually _wanted _to kiss him.

He took her hand, pressed it up against his chest. His heart was beating so hard she could feel it, as if possibility were something you might cup in your palm. She looked up at him, keeping her eyes wide open as he closed the distance between them.

It was soft and sweet, everything a first kiss should be.

Morgan pulled back ever so slightly, so he could look at her. Her eyes were all the confirmation he needed before he dove in a second time. This time, however, the kiss was full of passion and demanding as their lips struggled to remain less than an inch apart. He pulled her closer still and she didn't hesitate to readjust her position between his legs. He fell back onto the bed, taking her with him

"This is bad," she panted between kisses.

Morgan rolled them, so she was lying beneath him. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Right?"

She moaned as he hit a sensitive spot on her neck, and he took it as a 'yes'. It took him several more seconds to realize she was slowly undoing his belt. Getting it as a sign, he reached to her thin tank top. She didn't pull back. She didn't try to stop him. He cupped her breast and she moaned, arching her back in response. A second after that and they were both naked. He took a moment to admire her, something he'd been too drunk to do the last time.

"God, you're beautiful."

She just gazed up at him, eyes occupied with a silent dialogue. It was as if for once, just this once, she opened herself up to him and let him see her the way she really was, exposed and vulnerable. He liked what he saw. As much as he adored the strong, courageous woman she was, showing that softer side of her made her appear more… well, real, in a way.

"Condom?"

"I'm on the pill."

While leaning down to kiss her again, he entered her with one gentle thrust. He paused, when she let out an involuntary gasp.

"What's wrong?" he asked, genuinely worried.

"I…it's just been awhile," she finished lamely.

He looked considerably confused. "We did this last night."

She flushed even more. "Yeah, but I don't remember much…Oh," she trailed off, gasping as he slowly began to move. He smiled when her eyes fluttered close at his touch. And they moved together, in perfect unison, with nothing to worry about. No strings attached. No doubts. Just them, and that was all that mattered.

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**Sorry for the poor smut, but I didn't want to make it to graphic, as this is only T. **

**Hope it was okay! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to those who reviewed.**

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**Chapter 3**

"_Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own," H. Jackson Brown, Jr._

Thanks to Morgan, Emily hadn't gotten any sleep since they arrived at Vegas. Not that she was complaining – she enjoyed their heated nights of passion, but not sleeping for five days, was finally beginning to take its toll on her.

They were in the car, her head resting on the window, eyes closed. The case had been a quick one and boring at that. There had been no lives to worry about, only a damn burglar who had outwitted the casino security. In the end – to no one's surprise – it was Reid (with help from Garcia) who had tracked down the guy. Now, heading out to eat, Morgan was painfully aware of the fact that this would be their last night together.

They had agreed that their fling, affair, or whatever you wanted to call it, couldn't leave Vegas. Now Morgan wondered _why _it couldn't. In reality though, he knew why. He just pretended not to. They liked similar taste in movies, books, music, and he wondered if they could make it work. But did she want to?

She was sleeping soundly or was just resting. He wasn't quite sure, but either way didn't stop him from watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. It shook him, this new feeling inside of him. He had never felt this strongly about a woman before. Sure, he had been with his fair share of woman, but he'd never _truly _cared about them. Maybe it was the fact that he just didn't want to hurt Emily.

He pulled the car into the parking lot of the hotel they were staying at. A restaurant was in the main lobby, and they all figured they could drink without the need of a designated driver.

"Hey, Em." He shook her shoulder, and she mumbled something incoherent before opening her eyes. "We're here."

"Oh," she said, looking slightly dazed.

She looked so tired, and Morgan suddenly felt guilty. "Look," he told her gently. "You don't have to go out and eat. You can sleep."

Emily smirked, raising her eyebrows. "You mean, _we?_"

"No, I mean _you_. I'm serious. You look ready to pass out."

"Gee, thanks Morgan." She sat up, eyeing herself in the car mirror. He wasn't lying; she did look exhausted and felt it too, but the growling of her stomach told her sleep could wait. "I don't want to sleep. I'm hungry."

She smiled at him and that was all it took for the sudden lust and desire he had felt the previous nights to come rushing back. She must have felt it too, because in a blur Emily was out of the passenger seat, straddling his lap, and kissing him madly.

"Derek," she moaned, and he felt his jeans tighten as his first name escaped her lips.

He let his hands slip underneath her shirt, smiling when her muscles tightened at his touch. A voice in the back of his head told him that they shouldn't be doing this out in the open where anyone could see them, but he just couldn't seem to stop.

"This…is the… last…" she managed between kisses, never quite finishing.

"I know. I know," he said as he attached himself to her neck. He could feel her heart hammering loudly with anticipation, and he wondered if she can feel his beat just as loud.

And then the shrill sound of his cell phone ringing caused them to stop. As they slowly broke apart, it dawned on both of them how stupid it was to make-out in a public parking lot. Anyone could have seen them, including Hotch.

"Morgan," he said into the phone.

"How far away are you?" It was Hotch. "They can't seat us until our entire party is here."

With regret, Morgan said, "We just pulled in. We'll be right in."

*******

The restaurant was dark, the service was crap, the music was too loud, but the beer was damn good. After five days of no sleep and one excruciating boring case, the team was thankful to have a night to just relax. Morgan decidedly chose a seat next to Emily, and without thinking, he slung his arm on the back of her chair, slightly caressing her shoulder with his fingers. No one questioned it. No one gave them weird looks. Emily figured it was because they were all too tipsy to care.

"Hey, Em," Morgan said. "Look."

She peered at the menu to where he was pointing. "What?"

"Do you want it?"

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's called snickers delight, and since I_ know_ how much you like –"

"Morgan!" she hissed, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. The others gave them curious glances, all completely lost.

He smiled his award winning smile that simultaneously weakened her knees. "I don't want dessert," she told him.

"The snickers bar was introduced in 1930," Reid piped in, like he always did when a fact crossed his mind. "The name came from the family's favorite horse."

"You like snickers?" Rossi asked, completely ignoring Reid.

Morgan's grinned widened, remembering their first night. "Trust me, she _loves_ snickers."

If it wasn't dark in the bar, she knew her entire team would see the blush creeping across her face. In fact, knowing them, they probably already knew that she was flushing madly, but as long as they couldn't see it, she was fine. "If I remember correctly you liked _it_ just as much," she shot back.

"Yes I did," he agreed. By now they weren't even talking about snickers, and they smiled at their secret which was hidden in that one word. He leaned in closer to her, and she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. "Would you be mad if I called you that?"

"What?"

"Snickers."

"Yes," she told him, slightly pushing him away from her. "I would be."

"I don't get it," Reid told them.

"No one does," Hotch said, glaring as he did so. He suspected they had been hiding something the last few days, and though he didn't think it was unprofessional, he had a feeling that it was close to it. Little did he know that that line had been crossed days ago.

Rossi smirked at the two. "I don't think we want to know."

"Snickers," Morgan said, smilingly widely as he tested her nickname out.

Emily looked ready to kill him. "_Don't_ call me that."

"Snicks, I like it."

"I don't."

Morgan ignored her and leaned in to whisper in her ear seductively, lingering a little longer than necessary. When he pulled back, she was blushing profusely, leaving the others arching their eyebrows in question.

*******

Morgan wasn't sure how they were able to contain themselves until they got back to their hotel, but they somehow managed it. Just barely. As soon as the door was shut, he had her pinned up against it, kissing her madly. Like every night, she surrendered to his kiss immediately. However, in this particular moment, there was something different about the kiss. It wasn't demanding or needing. It was something else entirely, something she couldn't quite define. This one meant something; she could feel it.

"Sleep… on the plane," she mumbled.

He smiled against her lips as he carried her to the bed. If this was their last night together, he wanted it to mean something other than just sex. He wanted it to be special, romantic, something they would look back on. It's why he liked the nickname snickers so much. So even if they couldn't continue a relationship back home, they'd know what it meant. It would be their secret, and theirs to keep. A secret hidden by one word which meant more to him than she would ever know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the reviews!!!!!**

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**Chapter 4**

_"What if love wasn't the act of finding what you were missing, but the give-and-take that made you both match?" Jodie Picoult_

"Hey, Snicks." Morgan smiled foolishly at Emily. She was sitting in the seat across from him on the plane, and he had a hard time trying not to play footsies with her.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Don't call me that."

At that, his grin widened, and he tapped his foot against hers. She didn't even blush, which annoyed him. Normally he could get _some_ reaction from her. "Come on. I know you like it." He nudged her foot again.

Trying to ignoring him, she closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. "I'm sleeping," she told him stubbornly. Sure, she enjoyed his flirting, but hadn't they agreed that their intimacy couldn't leave Vegas? Wouldn't flirting just make it all the harder to stop?

Momentarily forgetting his chess game with Rossi, Reid spoke his thoughts out loud, "The term hypocoristic is used to refer to a nickname of affection between those in love or with a close emotional bond, compared with a term of endearment." Morgan tapped her foot again, completely ignoring Reid. She didn't budge which irritated him more. "A nickname is sometimes considered desirable, symbolizing a form of acceptance, but can often be a form of ridicule," Reid finished.

Emily kept her eyes closed, and Morgan's grin grew sour as he lightly kicked her once more. He was more than surprised when he got a full blown kick back. "Ow!" he grunted, pulling his foot away. He glared at Emily. "What was that for?"

"You kicked me first!" Reid protested.

At that, Emily opened her eyes and literally laughed out loud. Morgan glanced at the young doctor, utterly confused. Had he really just been feeling Reid up? The thought alone made him gag. He took a quick look under the table, and sure enough Reid's feet were sprawled out on his side. Emily's feet weren't anywhere close to him. "Why the hell are your feet all the way on my side?"

Reid's eyes grew wide. "I have long legs. I need to put them somewhere."

"Isn't that what an aisle is for?"

"I didn't want to trip anyone."

"Checkmate," Rossi interjected.

Reid's head shot back down to examine the board. "What? No…that's not fair…" mumbling something under his breath, Reid heaved himself up and stumbled over to the couch. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Sore loser," Morgan mumbled, but lightened the blow with a grin. This time, he checked under the table before tapping Emily's foot. She rolled her eyes at his childish attitude, but nevertheless, she nudged him back.

Rossi reclined his chair and shot a glance at Hotch, who was already sleeping at the far end of the plane. "That's sounds like a good idea."

In minutes, snoring could be heard throughout the cabin, leaving Emily and Morgan the only ones awake. However, Morgan's stomach dropped as she too got up out of her seat.

"Where are you going?" he questioned her, not even bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. Emily winked at him before disappearing to the back, which was all it took for him to race after her.

He wasn't going to lie. When he saw her_ actually_ getting coffee, he felt his hopes fly out the window. He knew it was stupid. They had agreed to not let it leave Vegas, but seeing her there – alone – made something inside him snap.

"Emily," he whispered in her ear from behind, causing her to gasp.

"Derek, we can't," she whispered, slowly turning to face him, her back up against the counter.

She didn't miss the hurt that flashed across his eyes. Sighing, he leaned in closer to her and rested his hands on her hips. "You know… technically were not home yet."

Despite herself, she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. "Yeah… I guess."

At that moment they locked eyes, and on impulse he gently traced her lips with his fingers, causing her to freeze. He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it. After all, his boss was only a couple of yards away. They were hidden, but it didn't mean someone wouldn't walk back and catch them in the act. But all worries seemed to escape him as he gazed into her eyes. Slowly, as if asking her for permission, he lightly brushed his lips against hers.

It was hesitant at first, unsure, but then she eventually gave into his kiss and it slowly grew more passionate, fierce. With a gasp, she arched into him. She knew it was stupid. She knew someone might hear. Worst. They could get caught. With one last demanding kiss, she absorbed the feeling that rushed through her, and then – with more regret than he would ever know – she softly pushed him away from her.

"I'm sorry... I... not here."

Morgan nodded, despite himself. He didn't want to stop. Didn't want her to leave. But he couldn't hold her against her will. Sighing, he reached out to grab her hand. It was an intimate gesture, one that made the both of them freeze to think. They both knew that if they didn't stop now, they wouldn't be able to stop at all. Emily didn't want to risk that, so she left first, pushing past him.

He counted to sixty before following after her.

*******

Emily groaned as they made their way through the BAU. All she wanted was a nice long bath and then sleep. _Lots _of sleep. Sure, she managed to sleep on the plane, but it wasn't the same as a mattress, and it hardly made up for not sleeping the entire case. And then she remembered she didn't have a car. Hers was at the shop for inspection, and Morgan had driven her to work that day.

"What's wrong?" Reid asked her when he heard her curse.

"My car's at home. I need a ride."

"I can drive you home, Em. Your house is on the way, anyway," Morgan told her, though that wasn't the reason why. True, her apartment was close to his, but it wasn't the reason he wanted to drive her home.

She accepted, not because he was being nice, but because she actually wanted to be with him. The car ride over was silent, though not uncomfortable. Emily liked this about them; how they could say nothing, and yet say everything. They could pour their hearts out in everlasting peace through simple movements, thoughts. They didn't need words to articulate themselves. After all, the completed each other. But it wouldn't be right to carry on a relationship. She knew this. It was the right thing. Right?

"You can park over there," she told him, pointing to a parking space not to far away from her car. Morgan unbuckled his seat belt, and she gave him incredulous look. "You don't have to walk me to the door. I think I can manage by myself."

Morgan didn't try to hide his pain expression. "I know," he told her softly. "I want to."

Emily nodded. She wanted him to, too. "Okay."

It took them forever to reach her door. They seemed to be piddling, as if neither of them wanted this moment to end. She even purposely fumbled with her keys to stall him leaving. When they were inside, she asked him, "Do you want some wine?" Anything to keep him from going.

"Sure."

"Well," she said, pulling off her jacket and heading into the kitchen. "We certainly are alone."

"Yes," Morgan said, faking excitement. "Good thing we have that not at home rule."

Emily turned around to face him. "Look, I just wanted to tell you… thanks."

"For what?" he asked softly, taking a step closer to her.

She glanced down, smiling sheepishly. "That…_ those _nights meant a lot to me."

"It meant a lot to me to." He smiled at her and held out his arms. "Hug?"

"Why not?" she told him, and she fell into his arms, gladly accepting his embrace.

Morgan closed his eyes, thinking that there was nothing like an embrace, nothing like fitting his face into the curve of her shoulder and filling his lungs with the scent of her. And they stayed like that for a long time. Both unwilling to pull away, to leave the other. Sighing, he kissed her forehead and ran his hand up and down her back, caressing her softly.

"Emily…" he breathed.

"Yes?" Her voice was breathy, barely audible and he a hard time containing himself.

"I'm still on Vegas time. Does that count?"

"Yes," she whispered before throwing her arms around him to capture her lips with his.

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***Sigh* gotta love friends =) borrowed a few lines from that episode. I would say stole, but borrowed sounds so much nicer. Hehe. Shhhhh. **

**Review?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"_True love can blind you, but at the same time, if you let it, it can also open your eyes" ~ ????_

It had been exactly seven weeks since their trip to Vegas, and Hotch suspected something was happening between his two colleagues. He couldn't decide if it was unprofessional or not, but something was definitely going on. And if they hadn't crossed that line, he knew they soon would.

He had no idea what to do about it.

To the untrained eye they would have appeared friendly, but it was more than that. It was the simple things that made him question it. Morgan would bring Emily coffee without her having to ask for it. They arrived either at the same time, or five minutes apart. They always sat next to each other. He flirted with her instead of the other girls on the floor. They followed each other around like lost souls. Morgan got angry when Emily was around other guys, and vice-versa.

Hotch took a glance out the window that viewed the floor. The elevator door opened, and Emily walked out. He quickly glanced at the clock and timed it. Sure enough, Morgan walked out five minutes later.

He sighed. It was too timed. Too planned.

For now he would let it go, but if it interfered with their job, he'd have to question them about.

*******

Morgan suspected the team was finally beginning to catch on.

Well most of them anyway.

According to Emily, JJ and Garcia constantly bombarded her about her nickname. Emily would tell them it was an inside joke between him and her, but neither of them seemed convinced. They each suspected it went beyond that, and of course – not that they needed to know – the blonds were right.

But they weren't the only ones who suspected something.

Rossi watched them like a hawk.

Hotch pretended not to notice.

Reid was too oblivious to care.

Garcia assumed he was dating someone. After all, he had been flirting less with her and more with Emily. It took him as a surprise when _Emily _had told him that he better start flirting with Garcia again.

"_It's not that big of a deal," Emily had told him. _

"_But I feel weird…when there's us…"_

_She had rolled her eyes at that. "It's just flirting. I don't want to be the one to take away a friendship like that." _

So he complied, but damn did he get mad when other men flirted with her. And believe him, there were a _lot _of men. To him, it felt like every guy in the building was trying to win over her heart. Okay, so maybe he was being a little melodramatic, but she still got numerous stalkers creeping around her desk everyday. He hadn't noticed it until they started dating. It bothered him to no end, too. Each creep he wanted to kill. Not to mention, he nearly got into a fight with one of them.

His name was Tom. Morgan couldn't remember his last name, but then again, he didn't care. Morgan only knew that Tom worked on the floor below them. Apparently, Tom'sfather went to highschool with Emily's mother, so – in Tom's mind – that automatically made them friends. Morgan chuckled. Some guys just didn't get it when a woman said no. And believe him, Emily turned Tom down more times than Morgan could count, but that didn't seem to sit well with Tom.

Naturally, Morgan's alpha-male instincts kicked in, and he purposely tried to get Tom to hit him. That way, he could say Tom took the first punch, but it hadn't worked because Rossi had been there to stop it. However, he swore if the creep came lurking around her desk one more time…

Morgan sighed. He was being ridiculous. After all, no one knew that Emily and he were dating. In everyone else's mind, they were single_. _So why wouldn't men hit on her?

"Hey," Reid said, startling him from his thoughts.

Morgan looked around. Everyone was gone, expect for Hotch, whose office light was still on.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to go. Could you give my report to Hotch when you're done yours?"

"Yeah sure," he said while taking the file from Reid.

"Thanks."

Thanks to _her _he had been distracted all day and couldn't seem to concentrate on the task at hand. As a result, he'd had to stay two hours later. Expect for Hotch, and a few others, he was the only one there. He sighed and quickly finished off the report. Who cared if it was crap? Hotch could fix it.

The light was still on in Hotch's office, so he decided to drop the report off now rather than in the morning. However, when he opened the door, he was more than surprised to see Emily sitting in their boss's chair. She was reading something, and her attention was so focused on whatever it was she was doing, she hadn't heard him come in.

"Does Hotch know you're in here?"

Emily jumped a mile out of her seat, and he just chuckled. She sent him a dirty look. "Yes, he does."

Morgan wrapped a possessive arm around her and pulled her closer to him to kiss her forehead. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't," she told him defensively. He gave her a look – a look she ignored. "Hotch gets Jack tonight, but he still had to finish a report. I told him I'd finish it for him."

"Did you?"

Emily nodded, and her eyes flickered around the room. There was no one there, and they both knew it. Their eyes locked, and that was all it took for the sudden desire to come rushing back. Morgan leaned in slightly to give her a quick peck. But that peck grew into two pecks. Then it grew into a full kiss. And before they knew it, they were kissing each other madly.

When he latched himself onto her neck, she finally had a chance to breathe. It came in short, heavy gasps, but it was enough air for her to get out a few words. "We… can't…"

But he captured her lips with his, and despite herself, she gave into him. "There's no… one…" he told her between kisses, then added, "or cameras in here."

Emily moaned against him, and that was all the encouragement he needed. They stumbled backwards until they hit the wall, and with little strength, he lifted her up. In response, she gladly wrapped her legs around him.

This was bad. So, _so _bad. Hotch's office. Could they pick a worse spot? They had never crossed the line at work before. Sure, they let a kiss or two slip when no one was looking, but they never crossed that line at work before, and now she wondered how they managed to contain themselves the last few weeks. However, the effect Morgan was having on her caused her to forget all of her worries and doubts.

She was brought back to reality when she felt her flimsy shirt leave her body, leaving her upper torso in only a lacy bra. Morgan looked at her like he'd never seen her before, and she fought the urge to blush.

She failed miserably.

"God, you're beautiful."

He always said this, but then again so did most of the guys she had been with. But when Morgan said it, it was different. She felt he actually meant it, unlike the others, who only said it for the purposes of sex. Yes. Morgan was different.

He cared.

She could see it in the way he kissed her. In the way he touched her, looked at her. It was there in his eyes at every moment of the day. And though she wouldn't admit it to him, she was falling for him. She was falling for him hard and fast, and the thought alone scared her. When had she stopped trying to convince herself that this wasn't more than a simple fling?

"…Morgan…"

He echoed her name in response, and she arched against him. He pulled back slightly, but not far enough for her to fall to the floor. After all, the only thing holding her up was him and the wall. She smiled sheepishly at him as he reached around her back to unhook her bra.

She kissed his forehead. It was an intimate gesture, making them both realize that it was more than just sex. "It's in the front," she whispered in his ear.

Morgan chuckled and just as he reached for it, the door burst opened.

"Hey, Hotch. I think you took my folder by mistake…" Reid trailed off, and froze in his tracks at the sight of his two colleagues – neither of which were Hotch.

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**Sorry it took me awhile to update, and sorry for the cliffy. Hope it was okay. **

**and Whoot whoot! The finale is on tonight! Can't wait! Better be good XD.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the Reviews!! Means a lot.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"_You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact they're not," ~Jodie Picoult, My Sister's Keeper__._

Reid just blinked at them. It wasn't everyday he walked in on two of his good friends/co-workers going at it in their boss's office when nobody was around. So once Reid got over the shock and established the fact that he wasn't hallucinating, the only words that seemed to come out of his mouth were, "You're not, Hotch."

They hadn't heard him until he said that, and even Reid had to admit it was a humor to see the next scene unfold. He had never seen two people break away from each other faster than they had. They were both startled, and Morgan even managed to drop Emily. With a soft thud, she hit the floor and disappeared behind Hotch's desk. Morgan remained standing, looking equally dumbfounded and annoyed.

Reid stuttered as Morgan locked eyes with him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead. But because there was a God, Emily grunted in pain, which pulled Morgan's attention to her and away from him. Taking this as an opportunity to escape, Reid turned on his heel and back up for the door.

He still didn't know what to make of the situation he just saw, but in all honesty, he didn't want to even think about it. It was gross. The thought alone repulsed him. He always thought of the team as a family. Hotch the dad. Rossi the uncle. Garcia the cool aunt. JJ the mom. Morgan the older brother. Prentiss the older sister. And him as the younger brother.

Brothers and sisters didn't _do_ it.

This seriously ruined the 'family' he had originally pictured, and he definitely wouldn't think of them in the same way ever again. It was just a painful reminder that they _weren't _blood related, and that he didn't have a 'normal' or 'real' family.

"Reid, are you okay…?"

It was Prentiss. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't even made it out the door.

So much for a fast escape.

He looked up to catch her gaze, but once he did, he regretted it. She was still wearing that black bra. A _very_ lacy and almost see through bra. As soon as he realized he was starring, he felt the heat rise to his cheeks. She either didn't care or didn't realize she wasn't wearing a shirt, because she didn't make a move to cover herself up. However, Morgan definitely cared. He locked eyes with him and stepped in front of Emily to block her from his gaze. That stance was all it took for Reid to snap back into reality and smack his hand over his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he stuttered to explain. "I didn't … I thought… Hotch… I'll just go…"

He turned to leave, but since his eyes were closed, he misjudged the distance to the door and ran into the wall.

"Ow," he howled as he bounced off of it like a ping-pong ball.

He heard Emily laugh from behind him, and Morgan snickered too. Reid was ready to crawl into a hole and die. He had left too! The only reason he'd come back was because Hotch took his folder by mistake. Reid didn't even care that he had Hotch's folder, but he knew Hotch would care, so he came back to return it. Reid grumbled something under his breath. Hotch wasn't even there.

"Where's my shirt?" he heard Emily ask.

"I don't know," Morgan told her.

"You threw it."

Reid wanted to strangle someone. Particularly Morgan. After all, this was his fault. He was sure of it.

"You can open your eyes, Reid," Emily told him gently.

He hesitated before opening them slowly. Once he was satisfied that they had _all _their clothes on, he stood up. For the longest time nobody said anything, and the longer he gazed at them, the more they fidgeted. They looked like two kids who got caught doing something they shouldn't, but then again, hadn't they? He wondered what they would have done if it had been _Hotch _who walked in on them, instead of him. Then again, he wondered what Hotch would have done _to_ them if he was the one who caught them in the act.

"Can I go," Reid squeaked out, "or are you going to explain?"

Prentiss looked at Morgan for help, but he looked just as confused as she did. Sighing, she took a step towards him. "Okay. Just listen... we didn't want to tell anyone…"

It took him a moment to realize this wasn't a heat of the moment, one time thing. "What? When?"

They both hesitated. They clearly didn't want to tell him, but Reid sure as hell wasn't going to act like he saw nothing. This time he was putting his foot down. They weren't going to treat him like the team baby.

"It doesn't matter…"

Apparently, they saw he wasn't buying it, so they gave in and told him the truth.

"Since Vegas," Morgan told him bluntly.

Reid blinked at them as he did a quick count in his head. He paled and his eyes grew wide with realization. "Vegas!? But it's been seven weeks."

"Really?" Emily asked.

Morgan looked surprised too. "It feels like last week."

Reid frowned at them. Did they think this was a joke? "So…are you guys..." he shifted back and forth on his feet. Talk about awkward. "… I mean… are you… two…dating?" he finished lamely.

They both hesitated again. Apparently, they hadn't been doing much talking in their relationship. But then Morgan nodded. "Yeah," he said, and Emily grinned widely from behind him.

From the expressions on their faces, Reid could tell they hadn't really discussed it. He glanced at the door again. He really wasn't good at these conversations. They were still eyeing each other foolishly, and Reid was sure they would be doing more than looking at each other if he wasn't there.

He felt incredibly stupid that he hadn't noticed it before. Shouldn't he have seen the signs. JJ had asked him about Morgan and Emily's behavior lately, but he just shrugged it off, saying it was nothing. Now, he wished he payed more attention.

"You're lucky Hotch didn't walk in," Reid told them, seriously.

That got them to stop looking like lost teenagers with a crush. "But it wasn't…" Emily said.

"It could have been."

"But it wasn't," Morgan insisted.

Reid frowned. "But_ if _it was, Hotch would have –"

"You don't think we know that," Morgan snapped at him.

Emily took the softer route, which he preferred. "That's why we haven't told anyone."

"We just don't want to bring anyone else into it yet," Morgan huffed, clearly frustrated that they had been interrupted. "Okay?"

"Please," Emily begged. "You can't tell anyone.'

Reid almost – _almost – _felt sorry for them. "I just don't see –"

"No," Emily cut him off. "You can't tell anyone."

"Anyone?"

"Yes."

"Why…?" It's not that he wasn't good at keeping secrets, he just didn't see the point in them. So what if Morgan and Emily were dating. Why couldn't they tell everyone and go on with their lives. But no. They wanted to make things complicated.

Yeah. He was really ready to hit someone.

"Look," Morgan jumped in. "We just don't want to deal with telling everyone right now."

Emily sighed. "Please, Reid? You can't tell. We'll tell everyone when the time fits…"

"You promise?"

"Yeah, sure," Morgan told him, though he didn't sound to reassuring. "Look, we'll do anything."

He starred at them for the longest time. He just didn't understand. It was Emily_. Emily! _They worked with her. They had a special bond. Emily!? Of all people. It just bothered him that Morgan would be so foolish, careless. Morgan was the one night kind of guy. Emily was not. He just didn't want to see her get hurt.

Reid raised his eyebrows. "Anything?"

Morgan eyed him suspiciously, but eventually nodded. "…yeah."

He smiled and took a brave step towards his friend. "Okay… you know in movies how the brother always beats up his best friend for going out with his younger sister behind his back?" He knew were he was going with this. It may surprise them, but he had wanted to do this since he walked in on them.

"Reid, I honestly don't see –"

Before Morgan could finish, Reid swung his fist back and slammed it into the side of Morgan's face. He did it out of pure instinct. It was a warning not to break her heart. However, instead of Morgan stumbling back - like he imagined - Reid did. Morgan hadn't even budged.

"What the hell was that for?" Morgan scowled him.

"Ow," Reid howled, clutching his hand to his chest. "How hard is your head, Morgan? I think you broke my hand."

Emily laughed hysterically from beside them. Both men gave her glares, which only resorted into more laughter.

Reid wasn't going to lie. He always wanted to hit Morgan. Not because he didn't like him, but because he never could. If Morgan wanted to pummel him, he could do it with his finger. Reid wanted that, and now that he had the chance…

"I just don't see the point of that, Reid." Morgan clenched his fist and took a menacing step towards the young doctor. He wasn't going to hit him, but Reid didn't need to know that.

Reid gulped and took a step back. He hadn't predicted Morgan's reaction. "Hey, hey… if I was kissing Emily, you would have hit me."

Morgan's eyes grew cross. "You weren't."

"But hypothetically –

"Hypothetically, you're not dating Emily," Morgan argued. "I am."

"I know, but –"

Emily rolled her eyes and stepped in to stop the fight. She wasn't going to sit there all night and listen to them argue. "Seriously, just shut-up." They both stopped talking, and she was a little taken back at how quickly they listened to her. "Are you okay?" she asked Reid, and Morgan rolled his eyes.

"My hand is broken," Reid announced, trying to wiggle a few fingers, but failed miserably.

"It's not broken," Morgan huffed.

"Yes it is."

Emily looked at Reid's hand and frowned. "Derek, it does kind of look…"

Morgan just glared. He really hadn't expected to spend his night at the hospital with _Reid. _"Ugh, come on wonder boy," Morgan echoed Garcia's nickname. "We're taking you to the hospital."

"You know," Reid spoke up. "This never would have happened if you two would have been more careful."

Emily's glare shut him up fast. Morgan lightly smacked him over the head and pushed him out the door. "You _so_ owe me."

Reid attempted to wiggle his thumb, but winced in pain. "Did you know that the thumb is controlled by nine individual muscles which are controlled by three major hand nerves?"

Morgan rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long, _dull _night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow. Sorry for the freakishly long wait. Really I have no excuse for not posting this sooner, as I had this chapter written for weeks now. Sorry about that. **

**Well, Anywho, here it is...**

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**Chapter 7**

_"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance." ~ Harrison Ford_

Under Morgan's left eye there was a slight bruise. However, you could only see it in the light, and even then, it was hardly noticeable. On the other hand, Reid had broken his thumb, and had fractured the rest of his right hand. It was in a flimsy looking white cast, and as a result, Morgan had signed his name in big black letters, taking up nearly half the cast. Emily took the other half. _Of course._ They would do that after he chose white. But Reid had refused to pick any other color. After all, why should he just bring attention to it by picking an obscurely bright color? It was bad enough that he broke his hand by _punching _someone. He almost smirked at the thought. Would anyone even believe him? He pondered over what he was going to tell Hotch.

They were at a red light when Morgan suddenly started to laugh loudly. Reid threw a glare at him. "What?"

Morgan held up his right hand and clenched it into a fist. "How the hell do you punch?"

Reid's eyes grew cross. "I punch just fine."

"You broke your thumb and fractured your hand. You're doing something wrong."

The light turned green and Morgan turned right at the intersection. It was just past one in the morning and he was taking Reid back to his apartment. He took a glance in the rear view mirror to catch a glimpse of Emily, who was sleeping soundly in the back seat and smiled widely at the sight. He wasn't lying when he told her she was beautiful.

"Reid, why did you_ really_ hit me?" Morgan asked him after a moment of silence.

Reid hesitated. "I… I… just don't want you to hurt her," he mumbled, just barely bringing the words to life.

Morgan hardly managed to hear him. Sighing, he threw a sympathetic glance towards the young doctor. He knew Emily and Reid had a special bond. A brother and sister type thing that he couldn't quite place. He really started to notice it after the Colorado incident. Morgan didn't blame Reid for worrying, though. How could he, when Morgan himself was afraid that he would do just that?

"I'm falling for her, Reid, and fast, " Morgan told him. "I... I don't want to hurt her either. I don't think I could. I never felt like this before."

"You really mean that?"

Morgan smiled as he glanced at Emily again. "Yeah. I really do."

*******

There was a hickey on Emily's neck and Reid couldn't seem to pull his eyes away from it. It bothered him that it hadn't been there last night when Morgan dropped him off at his house. Morgan had promised that he was going to drop off Emily at her place and then go back to his own.

Why didn't it come as a surprise to him that Morgan had lied to him?

But it bothered him. He liked Prentiss - not in _that _way - but he did care for her, which was why that hickey drove him to insanity. He just didn't want to see her get hurt, which Morgan was very capable of doing. It was just another reminder that what he saw hadn't been a dream. Just then, Emily, met his eyes and gave him a wink. So did Morgan. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to keep this secret.

"Reid, you okay? You look a little -" but Emily never got to finish her sentence because, just then, a loud ear-piercing scream cut her off. Everyone in the room went into 'FBI mode', but when they identified the source of the screaming, they dropped their guard altogether. It was just Garcia, and she was pointing an accusing finger at Emily.

Crap. Maybe, he should have given her a warning.

"What. Is. That!?"

Emily's hand immediately went up to her neck to cover up whatever Garcia was pointing at. "What?"

"Emily Prentiss, is that a _hickey!?" _Garcia exclaimed.

All of the color drained out of Emily's face, and Reid almost felt sorry for her. But then he remembered that this little commotion was preventing him from having to explain why his hand was in a cast.

Yes. Apparently, Emily's hickey was more important than his broken hand. This was definitely one of those FML moments Morgan and Garcia always talked about.

Garcia dropped her folder, the case momentarily forgotten. "_Do _tell," she said, taking the seat next to Emily.

Morgan grinned mischievously before laughing loudly. "So Emily, who's the lucky man?"

Emily sent him a look that could kill. However, before she could send a snappy comment back, Rossi entered the room. "What's all the commotion about?" he asked, biting into a green apple.

"Emily, has a hickey."

"Garcia!" Emily hissed. "You don't need to tell the whole world. And it's not a hickey…"

"I'm not telling the whole world," Garcia assured lightly, "just the BAU. And sweetie if that's not a hickey then I don't know what is."

Rossi just chuckled, that heart-filled laugh. "No kidding?"

"It's_ not_ a hickey," Emily defended herself, but the blush creeping across her cheeks gave her away.

"Is he hot?"

Morgan laughed loudly at that. "I could give you another one if you wanted." He wiggled his eyebrow seductively. "That way, the other side can match. Come on, the guy would never know."

Emily didn't hesitate to throw her empty coffee cup at him. It missed him completely. "In your dreams."

"Oh, babe," he teased lightly, "in my dreams were doing a lot more than just –"

"You're an asshole. You know that?"

He pouted. "Aw. But you still love me."

He realized what he said as soon as he saw her face grow even brighter than before. They both froze. Slowly, they locked eyes, occupied with a silent dialogue. For the first time she looked frightened, and disbelief flashed across her eyes. If they were alone, he would have told her that he wasn't lying. He would have showed her that she meant more to him than the whole world, but they weren't, which seriously ruined the moment.

Reid didn't miss his friend's moment of silent exchange. However, he interpreted it for a _completely_ different reason. And_ only _because he cared and wanted to help them, he blurted out, "It was me."

All eyes turned to him and the room went deathly silent. A pin – no. A feather – could have been dropped and they would have been able to hear it hit the floor. He met the eyes of everyone in the room. Rossi looked amused, while Garcia looked baffled. However, from the way Morgan and Emily were glaring at him, he could tell that he had done the wrong thing.

Morgan was the first to recover and man was he _not _happy. "What!?" .

Emily was next. "No you weren't"

So his hero attempt was an epic fail. Another FML moment. At the rate he was going, he was bound to win an award or something.

The others soon followed. "_What_?"

"What I mean is –"

"Oh my god," Garcia shouted, cutting him off. "What happened to your hand?"

Reid quickly shoved his hand under the table again. "It's nothing."

Great. Now he had to come up with a reason for that too. Why couldn't he just crawl in a whole and die?

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"Well, you see… we were playing… twister."

"Twister?" Rossi asked slowly, clearly he didn't believe it. As if on queue, every eye turned to Emily for confirmation.

She stuttered to respond. Eventually, she went with, "Yes. It was a long night."

Morgan laughed loudly. "What the hell were you guys doing last night?"

Reid and Emily both glared at him. Apparently, he wasn't going to be of any help, but Emily wasn't having it. If she was going down, she was taking him with her. "You would know if you weren't passed out on the couch," she lied.

That smacked the smile off his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What the hell happened? And Reid, how the hell do you break your hand playing twister!?" Garcia asked.

Rossi chuckled again. "I don't think we want to know."

"It still doesn't explain the hickey," Garcia acknowledged.

And because Hotch had horrible timing, he chose that exact moment to join them. He stopped in his tracks at the word and sent a questionable look at Rossi. "Do I want to know?"

Garcia gladly chose for him. "Yes. Emily has a hickey."

"Garcia, I swear…"

Hotch raised his eyebrows and nobody missed the way he shot an accusing glare at Morgan. Morgan's glare harden before sending an uneasy glance at Emily. As far as they knew, besides Reid, nobody knew about them. Of course, they suspected that the others had their suspicions, but they couldn't possibly know. Could they?

"What?" Morgan asked, holding up his hands, and then quickly, to get the attention off of him, he pointed accusingly at Reid. "Don't look at me. It was wonder boy over there."

Hotch's eyebrows rose even further. "You're right. I don't want to know."

"I told you," Rossi told him smugly.

Emily was ready to die of embarrassment. It was bad enough that _Hotch _was part of it. Her boss. And they were talking about_ her_ hickey. She was seriously going to kill Morgan later, and damn did she have her reasons. One, for putting her in this situation. And two, for even giving her the hickey in the first place. "Reid did _not _give me a hickey. And it's not a hickey," she lied, but failed miserably.

"I don't know," Garcia jumped in. "It sure looks like –"

"Garcia, are you ready to start?" JJ popped her head in, carrying a folder the size of a mystery novel.

"Yes."

JJ took an uneasy seat in the middle of the room. All eyes were suddenly on her, but not in the usual way. It was unnerving. "What?"

"Nothing," Emily cut in before anyone else could.

"Emily, you have something on –"

"It's _not _a hickey!" she nearly shouted, which earned her a glare from Hotch and snickers from the others.

JJ raised her hands in defeat. "Never said it was, but now that you mention it, it does look like one."

"See," Garcia gloated. "I told you. Now who's the lucky man?"

"Enough," Hotch cut in, saving her from yet another embarrassment. "We have a case. As far as I know, Prentiss's love life is none of our concerns."

No one argued, but they did send smirking glances her way. Morgan sent her an apologetic look, but she knew he was laughing on the inside. She just glared at him. Yeah, she would definitely make him pay later.

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Don't know when I'll be able to update, as I'm going away for basically all of July. Well, until I get back, tell me what you thought. =)


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